The Kosmic Physical

The most concrete universe or reality, The Kosmic Physical serves as the support for physical evolution, also includes supraphysical realities and includes not only the Physical Reality but other realities and subplanes and octaves of existence as well. These constitute increasing stages of density or materiality of matter, with the consequent constriction of consciousness. So the further down into matter you go, the more limited consciousness becomes. The further up, the more subtle things become. And so not just those aspects
of physical reality that are accessible to the senses and to scientific instruments. So there is more to the Material Universe than objective or mundane physical reality. There are other dimensions, parallel universes, other aspects of consciousness, and so on. The whole of which is not static, but a dynamic unfolding through a process of transformation, incarnation, metamorphosis, descent, ascent, and evolution.

The following are some definitions of the Physical Reality in different esoteric systems of thought

In this Universe of dense and subtle (etheric, astral, spiritual) matter and material Form, we have reached the level of reality where things are defined by particular a form or structure (whether gross or
subtle), limited in space and time, and existing separately from each other.
This is a very important region; the meeting place of all the worlds, the
cosmic centre of gravity so to speak. According to Sri Aurobindo it is only in tPhysical plane that spiritual evolution occurs. All the other Universes or Planes are "archetypal" worlds, rather than evolving worlds.

Material reality can be variously subdivided, for example according
to the four- or five-fold division of archetypal elements, resonances of
higher planes, evolutionary stages, inner-outer orientation, or expansion
or contraction of consciousness. Each of these can be defined by
its own specific characteristics.

Esoteric Cosmology - "Vertical" Physical-Spiritual Axis

As with all the planes and ontological universes, the Physical reality seems
to consist of a number of resonances or subplanes. Physical (Asiyatic) Reality is here divided into eight Planes: the Divine, Spiritual, Illumined, Higher Mental, Mental or Devachen, Soul or Psychic, Nervo or (secondary) Astral or Etheric, and Physical proper. These sub-planes have been variously described and categorised in different esoteric teachings, especially the system of chakras in Tantra and in Sant Mat, the occult cosmologies of the Kabbalists, Theon, Blavatsky, Rudolph Steiner, and Sri Aurobindo. Barbara Ann Brennan's ultimately theosophically-derived paradigm of seven energy bodies can also fit in here. The higher planes are only poorly understood, pertaining as they do to very elevated and spiritual states of existence. The following information and tabulation therefore should be taken as very tentative.

Regarding Theon, a distinction can be made between his primary seven stages of what he calls the "Materialisms" Plane (actually the Cosmos as a whole - transcendent as well as physical) with the physical as the lowest, and the seven subdivision or degrees of that physical plane. It is these subdivisions that are referred to here. For Theon's arrangement of planes within planes, see his representation of the "Materialism" world. Blavatsky says the same thing, she has an almost identical series of planes and subplanes (whether derived from Theon (via the H. B. of L?) or arrived at independently, is not clear.

Briefly now reviewing the various strata of physical consciousness (from the non-physical to the dense material):

The Dense Material Physical. Western secular knowledge and the physical mind pertain only to the lower or mundane level of the physical, and the "outer aspect of the outer being" of that "dense physical" at that. This is familiar physical reality of Material Form and Matter and energy, physical and mundane consciousness, and embodied existence. In this thin slice of reality, all the vast ramifications of modern secular knowledge and the fruits of the physical intellect may be found. (dense plane or resonance within/of Kosmic Physical/Matter)

The Paraphysical (or Etheric-Physical Interface). On the more subtle reaches of the Dense Physical, between the objective physical and the etheric is an intermediate or transitional region, which correspond to paraphysics and paranormal phenomenon, alternative healing modalities, and other phenomena on the fringes of science, or considered quackery because they don't fit within the secular-reductionistic paradigm that recognises only the material-physical. Richard Gerber (Vibrational Medicine) uses the term Physical-Etheric Interface. However I consider this is not simply an interface, but a distinct "band" of reality, albeit one in close proximity to the material physical. (transition between the preceeding and following)

The Etheric or Subtle Physical is here interpreted as the region intermediate between the dense physical and the astral. Following Steiner, I use refer to this reality as "the etheric plane", although the word "etheric" is not infrequently used in New Age literature to designate a higher spiritual reality. An alternative term would be "subtle physical". This represents the various aspects of the physical proper. Again we find here various subtle bodies (taking Brennan 1987 as a guide in this matter). This is like the objective physical, but larger and more fluid, more multifaceted. Here we have auras and the etheric or subtle bodies, orgone energy, Earth energies, Anthroposophy and so on, as well as the more subtle blueprints that reside in the etheric or formative regions, and entire regions with no objective correlate. (Form plane or resonance within/of the Kosmic Physical/Matter)

The Astral Physical Plane is often confused with the larger astral and affective universe, but is a more restricted octave of it, the astral in the physical. It is usually considered supra-material, but it is only the Physical or Material Octave of the true Affective Universe. In the Astral we found both incarnate and disincarnate human and other spirits, as well as devas (nature beings), thoughtforms, and many other phenomena. This reality, more fluid, ideo-plastic, and polymorphic than the etheric, has been explored in various diverse ways by Theosophy, Shamanism, Hermeticism, and other teachings all present either the theory or the practice of interacting with these realities. Some, like much of mediumistic spiritualism, are not recommended because they do not provide safeguards or correct understanding (see critiques by Blavatsky). Others, like exoteric religions, give only distorted or fundamentalist understandings. (Affective plane or resonance within/of the Kosmic Physical/Matter)

The Formative or Spiritual Physical represents a vast series of higher spiritual etheric and formative regions, wherein are found the archetypes of the lower octaves, as well as various hierarchies of spiritual or angelic beings. Steiner talks at great length about these realities, under terms like "Devachen" (Steiner 1970) and "Spiritland" (Steiner 1969), exploring their multidinous phenomena and aspects in his various lectures. It also constitutes the source or greater octave of the higher three of Barbara Brennan's human energy fields (Brennan 1987), and Rupert Sheldrake's morphogenetic fields The Formative or Spiritual Physical can be considered the Ideational plane or resonance within/of the Kosmic Physical/Matter)

The above three realities or octaves would seem to be what are referred to by Sri Aurobindo as the "Subtle Physical" (ref). In esoteric Islam this is the Imaginal Realm, the Barzakh or the Intermediate World, in which "bodies are spiritualitised and spirits corporalised". (ref)

Lower Resonances of Consciousness:

Physical, Chthonic, and Hylic It is also suggested that what most occult teachings call the "physical" is not a level beneath the "etheric", but rather the "outer" aspect or perspective of it, incorporating also the outer perspective of the chthonic and hylic. And while occult and esoteric philosophies often explore those realities above the ordinary physical consciousness, they very rarely consider the levels below the ordinary physical. Exceptions are the Mother's yoga of the transformation of the body (Mother's Agenda), Timothy Leary's psychedelic psychocosmology (Leary 1987 Infopsychology), Kenneth Grant's Maatian occultism, and (although this isn't esotericism) depth psychology. However traditional mythocosmologies (shamanic, buddhist, etc) all speak of levels of existence below the physical world as well as above. But this insight was lost in the western wisdom traditions due to Platonic dualism and Gnostic world-negating spirituality which emphasised only ascent and not descent.

Unless otherwise attributed or quoted, all material on this page authored by myself is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial license version 1.0 and version 2.0.This license does not cover images or quoted material by others